Gary Starkweather almost single-handedly invented the laser printer when no one else believed it was possible. There was one problem that threatened to derail the project, but a solution revealed itself in his sketchbook...

A product that started as a desperate act of invention in the kitchen blender, ended up becoming one of the most beloved office supply products of all time. The story behind Liquid Paper’s inspiring beginnings…

When Jesper Kløve, CEO of NNE, a pharma engineering firm in Denmark, discovered his company’s why, it came as a bit of a surprise…

Most folks assume the goal of a brainstorm is to “be creative,” and thus perceive it to be a high stakes endeavor. But “creative” is a collective outcome, counterintuitively achieved by…

It’s sadly true that too often, we’re only listening enough to figure out what we are going to say next. This is true in social interactions, and it’s also ironically true even in the supposedly-human-centered-innovation space…

Whenever we speak about the volume of ideas needed to achieve a breakthrough, one question inevitably arises: “How do I select from such a vast quantity of ideas?” There are all sorts of “systems” and recommendations folks often make, but these answers strike me as just a little too clinical…

Every once in a while you come across a story that blows your mind on multiple levels. This fantastic tale of froyontrepreneurship and corporate chicanery too good not to share in all its glory. Enjoy.

Most efforts to stimulate creativity and innovation are essentially driving forces: trying to incite some new behavior. Behavior theorists suggest a different tack: “Instead of asking how can I get him or her to do it, (instead) start with the question, ‘Why isn’t she doing it already?’

This is about the simplest argument for cultivating an array of interests that I’ve ever heard: “The underlying neural process of creativity is quite simple: it’s taking some things we already know and combining them in a new way. You have to realize that the brain is not capable of producing new material from scratch…”

Much has been written about the value that diverse perspectives bring to driving fresh thinking. What’s also true is that each individual holds various identities. And research indicates that these can be a source of immense creative potential…

We tend to pay closer attention to established working relationships, when really, it’s weaker ties that often yield more profitable outcomes when it comes to innovation and creativity….

“Some of the best solutions come at inopportune moments. For some reason, once I step away from the problem, it’s like a good idea almost ‘sneaks up on me’. So I’ve made a commitment to my subconscious that I’m going to write down whatever comes up…”

Spectacular innovators turn interruptions into serendipitous opportunities for random input. “If I’m going to be interrupted, might as well put it to use,” they think. A fantastic example is Ana Leyva, an alum of LaunchPad11 doing fantastic things at Lelu…

The question I’ve been pondering in recent days is, where’s the “office coffee machine” now? The video conference hardly replicates the conference table, especially for serendipitous interactions. We need is a new kind of water cooler…

When we think of building our networks, all too often the word conjures up images of sleazy-feeling cocktail hours. Yet loose associations are profoundly powerful sources of leverage. How do we preserve our networks without feeling gross?

There’s a great story about Jim Yurchenco discovered the insight that fueled the wildly popular and widely imitated original Apple mouse…

I once asked David Kelley what he would say to someone who’s intimidated by the volume of material required to get to a good idea. (Depending on one’s field, research suggests anywhere from ~200 on the low end to ~10,000 on the high end)…

“I try to keep Fridays wide open for exploration. They are my creative days. I keep a stack of stuff reserved for Fridays that I want to look into. Other than a call with two treasured collaborators, I have nothing else planned…”

One thing I'm always wondering is, "How do leaders create an environment where creativity can thrive?" A few fresh answers have popped on the radar recently, for the benefit of fellow practitioners...

This memory of Steve Jobs reminded me of a tactic that was known as “Tom Sawyering” around the Xerox PARC offices. An informal process of socializing ideas to build momentum…